Hiking The Slot in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Back in April (4/21 & 4/22) we continued on our adventure to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Fortunately, we were able to reserve a site in the hookup section of the Borrego Palm Canyon Campground. Unfortunately, it was so windy during our entire stay that we never took out our slides. This made for a cramped two days when we were home in the evenings. We did a few hikes during the day, and the highlight was definitely The Slot. Planning a trip to Anza-Borrego? You don’t want to miss The Slot. Wondering which route to take? Check out our recommended RV route through the mountains back to San Diego. Don’t have time to read this now? Pin it for later!

Hikes

Panoramic Overlook Trail

On our first day we started out on what we thought was the 3-mile round trip hike of Borrego Palm Canyon Trail but we ended up on the 0.5 mile climb up Panoramic Overlook Trail. The views from Panoramic Overlook Trail were beautiful. You can see the entire campground from above and for miles in most directions. While at the top we saw multiple emergency vehicles heading towards the Borrego Palm Canyon Trail. This was the hike that we wanted to do next so we decided to wait a while before we heading in that direction. Eventually, we made it to that trailhead. We started on the Alternate Trail but within a few minutes, a rescue helicopter came flying overhead. We figured it was best to skip this hike and stay out of the way.

17 Palms Oasis

The next day we hiked 17 Palms Oasis and The Slot. In order to get to 17 Palms Oasis, you have to drive on the Arroyo Salado wash. The drive was fun and relatively simple in our Jeep, but it did take almost an hour since it was about four miles of light off-roading with lots of rocks and narrow sections. I am sure you can guess why it is called 17 Palms Oasis but it was still surprising to see those palm trees in the middle of nowhere. Leaving the jeep behind, this hiking trail was not marked at all so hard to follow and we lost the trail a few times. I was really hoping to see some wildflowers, but we were too late in the season and only got a few. I wouldn’t recommend this trail unless it is wildflower season because there really isn’t a lot to look at and you can easily get lost. Luckily there are some high points you can climb and get your bearings again. Our recommendation would be to download an offline map of the area on your phone with Google Maps and drop a pin where your vehicle is parked just in case you do lose the trail and start heading off in the wrong direction.

The Slot

Our last hike for the day was our favorite, The Slot. It’s short but memorable, and something you can’t miss if you visit Anza-Borrego. I am not sure what it is but I really like hikes where you are in the canyon with the tall walls around you. Plus you are out of the sun and it’s cooler. It reminds me of being in a maze although there is only one direction to go. Check out our pictures below because words just do not do it justice.

Our Route

Prior to Anza-Borrego, we stayed one night at the Headquarters Campground in Salton Sea State Recreation Area. We took Borrego Salton Sea Way (S22) from Salton City to Anza-Borrego and there was a several-mile stretch where the road was in bad shape! Not a big deal in a car, but our motorhome was rattling loudly this entire section. I was really regretting our decision to take this road until we reached the edge of the state park and the road got a lot better. So if you decide to head this way just remember it will get better.

When you leave Anza-Borrego and head to San Diego you have a few different options. If you read the RV forums everyone has an opinion depending on what type of RV they have and how comfortable they are driving up and down steep grades. Since we have a lot of power and an exhaust brake in our Phaeton, after some research we decided to take: Borrego Springs Rd to Yaqui Pass Rd to CA-78 W through Julian, Santa Ysabel, and Ramona to Scripps Poway Pkwy. Yes, Yaqui Pass Rd was steep but we had no issues with this route and would definitely take it again if heading back this way. Check out our route here. There are other shorter more direct options, but the grades are even steeper. Depending on which direction you are going, if you are on the outside lane you have a pretty steep drop right next to you that is unnerving to some people.

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